How to Save a Life
by LittleGrey8
Summary: What if Sara and the Legends discover that Tommy's death was an aberration caused by Eobard Thawne? Can Sara and her team, with the help of Oliver Queen, correct this aberration? And if they can, how will Tommy's survival change things?


This story takes place briefly after the Legends fix the Los Angeles cliffhanger from the end of season 2. Truthfully, I'm aware that the premise may be a little ridiculous, but this was the best way I could think of to start this type of story.

What if Sara and the Legends discover that Tommy's death was an aberration caused by Eobard Thawne? Can Sara and her team, with the help of Oliver Queen, correct this aberration? And if they can, how will Tommy's survival change things?

This story will start off mainly with the Legends to set up the story, but once that happens, it will be a Tommy/Laurel centric mainly Arrow fic.

I don't own anything.

…..

"Did anyone else feel that?" Jax asked as he felt the waverider shake.

"It felt like another time quake. A big one. Gideon, are you picking anything up?" Sarah asked, walking towards the screens as her team joined her.

"Yes, I've picked up an aberration in Starling City on May 15, 2013." Gideon said.

"Wasn't that the day of the Undertaking?" Ray asked curiously, but before anyone could answer, Gideon displayed a newspaper article on the screen. "I've identified the aberration." Gideon said.

"Isn't that Malcolm Merlyn's kid?" Jax asked as Sara gasped.

"That's impossible. This can't be an aberration. This actually happened. Tommy Merlyn died four years ago saving my sister's life." Sara said shakily.

"According to the original timeline, Mr. Merlyn was supposed to survive. There were only supposed to be 502 victims of the Undertaking, not 503." Gideon explained.

"I don't understand. Sara remembers this event actually happening. If it's an aberration, why are we just now learning about it?" Nate asked.

"Thawne," Martin said softly.

"It makes perfect sense," Ray said excitedly. "Thawne needed Malcolm Merlyn's help getting the spear of destiny. Getting his family back was one of Malcolm's main motivations. Thawne must've known that being responsible for the death of his son would help to solidify that motivation. Because Thawne was a time remnant, this abberation must've gone undetected somehow."

"Sounds like we're going to Starlilng City," Ray said.

Sara, still shaken, responded, "We need Ollie. He was there when Tommy died. He knows what happened better than anyone. He can help us fix this. If we're going to do this, I have to make sure we get it right."

"Sara, you know that we can travel to events we participated in. We did it with the spear because we didn't have a choice. We can't risk Oliver doing the same." Martin responded.

"There may be another way." Ray said. "I've been working on something to help us with this problem. I think I've developed a way to allow someone's present consciousness to take over their past body for about twenty-four hours. I haven't been able to test it yet, but it should work."

"Mr. Palmer, if you upload the program to my system, I should be able to run a test determining the likelihood of the program being effective." Gideon stated.

"Great," Sara said. "Ray and Jax, why don't you get to work on that? The rest of you, get ready to travel to 2013. But first I need a drink." Sara walked into her captain's quarters and poured herself a drink.

"Are you alright?" Martin asked, walking in behind her.

"Would you be? I get to go back to save the life of someone I knew, someone who deserved so much better, but I don't get to save my sister." Sara responded sinking into a chair.

"Maybe not. But maybe you can help your sister's last few years to be different. Mr. Merlyn died saving her life, so I assume they were close?" Martin asked, sitting on the edge of the desk.

Sara nodded with a smile. "Laurel told me once that after Ollie and I died on the Gambit, she held onto so much anger, but eventually she just became numb to everything and everyone around her. And Tommy Merlyn, of all people, helped her feel again. They loved each other."

"Then I imagine that correcting his death would have a positive impact on your sister." Martin responded with a grin.

"Losing Tommy nearly killed her. She felt so much guilt, honestly I don't think she ever got over it." Sara looked at Martin, with a wistful smile as she stood. "When we were kids, she always had this incredible smile and this bright light, a fire behind her eyes. When she lost Tommy, she lost that part of herself. Even though she found the Black Canary, she never really got that part of herself back. Maybe this way, she'll never lose it."

Martin smiled, pulling Sara into a hug. "And you know, maybe by saving Tommy, I can save Laurel too." She said excitedly.

"Sara, I don't think… Rip said..." Martin said slowly.

"I know what Rip said. He said what would've happened if I'd been there. But he never said what would've happened if Tommy had been there. Or maybe, this'll change things enough that Laurel won't be there at all. Maybe…"

Martin cut her off, gently placing his hands on Sara's shoulders. "Sara, we don't know. Maybe fixing this aberration will save your sister, maybe it won't. We don't know. All we can do is do our duty by correcting this aberration."

Before Sara could respond, they were interrupted by Gideon. "Captain Lance, I've run diagnostics on Mr. Palmer's program. There is approximately a 75% chance that it will work."

"Truthfully, far higher than I expected. " Ray said as he and Jax joined the rest of the team.

"But what about the other 25%?" Martin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing should happen. Maybe a slight headache. Temporary paralysis." Ray said quickly.

"Whoa. Are we really gonna risk that?" Jax asked.

"It does seem like a sizeable risk." Martin responded.

"Oh come on, a slight headache and temporary paralysis is hardly a sizeable risk." Ray said exasperatedly. "Sara, you know Oliver better than any of us. Your call."

Sara thought for a brief minute. "Tommy was Oliver's best friend. His sister's brother. I know he'd do anything to get him back, no matter what the risk was to him. It's almost like the timeline's given us a get out of jail free card. If having Ollie's help will increase our chances of saving Tommy, we have to do everything we can to get it."

"Great!" Ray beamed, clearly excited to have the opportunity to test his latest invention. "I've wired the program into Gideon's mainframe. When we jump, Oliver's present day consciousness should jump into his past body."

"Strap in. We're going to Starling City." Sara smiled as she and the rest of the team strapped into the wave rider. "Gideon, set a course for Starling City, May 15, 2013."

….

After they had arrived, the team was gathering their supplies. It was about two o'clock in the morning, which would give them about fifteen hours to find Oliver and come up with a plan.

As Sara was examining a map that showed the effects of the Undertaking, Ray plopped a baseball cap on her head.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked with a laugh.

"In case you're forgetting, you're dead. I know you well enough to know that you aren't going to stay on the ship, but I also know that you can't be recognized." He said with a smile.

"Thanks," Sara smiled, adjusting the hat on her head as the rest of the team joined them. "If I'm remembering correctly, Oliver should be at my sister's apartment. I'm going to meet him to see if Ray's program worked. You guys can set up in the basement of my sister's building for now. Hopefully, he'll join us and let us know exactly what happened. Let's go."


End file.
